D.C. Circuit Panel Tosses Soo Kim’s Conspiracy, Racial Discrimination Claims against Rosenworcel
In its narrative of Kim’s failed bid for TEGNA, the court sidestepped Nancy Pelosi’s intervention on behalf of Democratic donor Byron Allen, an African-American businessman and Kim’s rival for TEGNA
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Courts: Soo Kim is running out of judicial options. A federal appeals court on Aug. 25 upheld the dismissal of a lawsuit filed by SGCI Holdings III and Managing Partner Kim, who alleged the FCC under Democratic FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel, a Biden appointee, and several industry figures conspired to derail his $8.6 billion bid to acquire broadcaster TEGNA in 2023. TEGNA is now owned by Nexstar Media Group. A three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit said Kim, who was born in South Korea and alleged racial discrimination by Rosenworcel, failed to show he faced any “certainly impending” future injury from the FCC, noting that the officials he accused of discrimination “no longer occupy those roles at the FCC.” Message: Current FCC Chairman Brendan Carr wouldn’t repeat Rosenworcel’s shabby treatment of Kim. The judges, all Obama appointees, excluded from their deal narrative then-Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s intervention after “she and fellow House Democrats got more than $500,000 in campaign donations from [Democrat] Byron Allen,” an African-American TV station owner and Kim’s business rival in the auction for TEGNA in 2022. Kim can appeal to the full D.C. Circuit or seek Supreme Court review, both likely long shots. (More after paywall)
